Party of Two
by iloveromance
Summary: Rescuing Daphne from a frightening situation in downtown Seattle brings them closer than Niles could have ever imagined and he finds that merely telling her that he loves her is not enough. He hopes his elaborate plan will show her how deep his love truly is. A companion/continuation to "A Crane's Love".
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: This story came on a whim, based on one insignificant line that I inadvertently left out of "A Crane's Love"**_

The kisses they shared were sweet, passionate and loving, making Daphne feel warmth inside her unlike any she'd ever known before. It had all happened so quickly and it was so unexpected. But what surprised her most of all was that she had been the one who set it all in motion.

In her relief from being rescued, in a sense, she'd found an angel in the form of her friend, Niles Crane. The idea that he'd completely abandoned a dinner party that meant so much to him in order to come to her rescue was, to put it lightly, incredible. And his sweet words still resonated in her mind;

_You have the most generous, loving and kind heart of anyone I know and I love you so much._

He'd told her that he loved her, after so many years of knowing one another. And it wasn't the kind of love between friends, but real love… the kind that comes from the heart. She didn't need a psychic vision to tell her that she felt it too.

Until now she couldn't quite bring herself to say the words back, but as his hands curled around her neck, his fingers splayed through her hair, she knew that the time had come.

"I love you... Niles."

He drew back and stared at her with tears in his eyes. "Daphne… Are you saying…?"

His boyishness made her smile and she brushed a lone tear from the corner of his eye.

"Yes, Niles. I love you. I should have seen it long ago. And I'm not saying that because you came to me rescue, although I'll never forget that for as long as I live. But it's a hundred other things. Your smile, the way you make me laugh, how sweet and thoughtful you are and… Oh God… your party! Niles, I can't believe you gave it up for me!"

"Daphne, that's in the past. When you called, sounding so frantic, I-."

She smiled and caressed his cheek. "I know… but I still can't quite believe this is real. You're me best friend and that's why I bought you all those gifts. I know I went a bit overboard, but-."

"I love them all." He said, kissing her once more. He glanced at the coffee table and picked up the slender box, opening it to reveal the first gift. "A beautiful silk tie, this wonderful silver pen and… the cologne. It's my absolute favorite. How could you possibly have known?"

"We've known each other for a long time." She said, unable to stop smiling. "I might not have said anything, but it was hard not to overhear the conversations that you had with your brother or the clothes you wear, the colors you prefer. And when I walked into that store, Hart and Marx, the man knew exactly what I should buy."

"Well, you're the most perfect gift of all." He said, warming her heart once more.


	2. Chapter 2

She moved closer to him on the sofa, resting her head against his shoulder. But seconds later his head snapped up and he looked around the room.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. I just… I can't believe I didn't notice it before."

"Notice what?"

"How beautiful it is."

She looked around the room and laughed. "Oh, you mean the Christmas decorations? I have to admit that they're a bit dull, but I couldn't help meself. I knew your brother wouldn't go for putting the tree up on Thanksgiving night, but after hearing Christmas songs for days on end, and commercials for Christmas things on TV, I couldn't resist putting up a few decorations. I'm surprised that you even noticed. It's only a few garlands and lights. The real decorating will start tomorrow I suppose. I meant to do it when I got home from me shopping but I…. "

Her voice trailed away, and she shuddered, trying to forget about that awful night, being stranded in downtown Seattle with no way to get home. Out of what could only be called desperation, she'd called Niles and he'd come at a moment's notice, calming her fears in the process.

Now he looked at her, a boyish grin on his face.

"What is it?"

"Well, the decorations are beautiful, but I was talking about you."

She lifted her head from his chest and smiled. "Well that's awfully sweet of you but me hair is a mess and me outfit-."

He silenced her with a kiss that left her breathless. "You're beautiful, Daphne. The most beautiful woman I've ever seen. And I love you so much."

"And I love you." She said surprised at how easy it was to say the words. Her fingers trailed down his shoulders, until they reached his neck. And ever so gently she tugged on his black bow tie until the strands hung against his collar bone. "There, doesn't that feel better?"

"Yes, it certainly does."

"You look awfully handsome in your tuxedo. It must have been some party."

He leaned his head back, allowing her to rest her head against his once more. "Daphne, I was thinking…"

She smiled, listening to the way his heart beat steadily in his chest. "About what?"

"Well, I never got to have my party as planned."

She raised her head and looked at him in dismay. And at once the magical moment was broken.


	3. Chapter 3

She sighed deeply, the hot tears rising to the surface. She knew that he loved her, of that she was certain. After the tribulations he'd been through with Maris, he would never joke about such a powerful emotion. But she also knew that he was disappointed about his party. How could he not be? Months of planning, making detailed decisions and the guests he'd invited. It was quite possible that those people might never accept an invitation from him again. It was completely her fault.

If only she'd listened to Frasier and accepted his ride downtown, none of this would have happened. She wouldn't have lost track of time, and ended up stranded. And Niles…

She glanced over to find him deep in thought. Most likely he was thinking of the money that he'd wasted, not to mention the time, which to a man such as he was probably even more precious. How could she even begin to make it up to him? Saying I love you, buying him silk ties, silver pens and cologne just didn't feel like enough. It would never be enough. But she was at a complete loss for what to do.

She pulled out of his arms and rose to her feet, watching him.

"Daphne, what's wrong?"

"I-I just need some air." She said, turning quickly to leave before he could stop her. When she reached the balcony door, she thrust it open, wincing at the burst of cold air that hit her in the face.

Alone on the balcony she stared into the night sky, the stars blurred by her tears. How could she have been so selfish and inconsiderate? Because of her, Niles plans were ruined and yet he'd done nothing but tell her not to blame herself. She knew it was wrong, feeling guilty when she had no control over the situation.

"Here, put this on. It's terribly cold."

At his quiet voice she turned to find him holding her red coat and she smiled through her tears, slipping her arms into the sleeves. "Thank you." Her voice broke and she quickly turned away. She didn't want him to see her crying yet again.

But to her surprise, his arms went around her and his lips kissed her neck.

"Daphne, I'm so sorry." He whispered into her hair. "Perhaps I should have rephrased my statement. I meant that since I wasn't able to have my party as planned, I'm going to reschedule it for tomorrow night. And I insist that you come."

Her anger and hurt melted away, replaced by complete astonishment. "What? But Niles, I couldn't possibly… I mean all of those important people! And how will you even begin to-."

He kissed her softly, bringing her to silence and smiled. "Just say you'll come. Please? It would mean the world to me."

She couldn't stop smiling as she kissed his sweet lips. "All right. I'd love to. Thank you, Niles. What time would you like me to be there?"

"I'll pick you up at, say 7:30?"

"Oh, I can't let you leave your party again. It wouldn't be right. I'll be there… at 7:30."

He gathered her into his arms and hugged her warmly. "Thank you, Daphne. You have no idea how much this means to me."

She relished the feeling of his embrace and she leaned against him, closing her eyes. But when she felt him shake her gently, she realized that she had fallen asleep in his arms.

"I should go." He whispered. "It's late and you must be exhausted."

Disappointment filled her as she looked into the eyes of the man she'd suddenly come to love. "I'll see you tomorrow."

He smiled and kissed her tenderly. "I'm looking forward to it. Goodnight, sweet angel. And thank you so much for the wonderful gifts. I'll cherish them."

When he'd left the condo, she returned to the balcony, staring into the sky. She knew she would feel completely out of place among such important people and she worried about saying or doing the wrong thing. But there was nowhere on earth she'd rather be than with the man she loved.


End file.
